lebanon, kuwait, syria, pakistan, iraq, afghanistan. in three of those six countries, half of them a predecessor of mine was the net -- was assassinated. i don't need to tell this audience, but your foreign service is, has been and will continue to be very much not just on the front lines of diplomacy, but on the front lines of conflict. it was suggested to me that i talk a bit this afternoon about the future of the afghanistan and u.s. interests. ashley, of course, in his unique and in the middle way one that significantly but it does not matter because i am not in government service and i will assist talk about whether the hell i will talk about. [laughter] this will be a collection of reflections and i do hope to ensure -- i'm sure there is ample time for questions as i look around, beginning in the front row, and proceeding in every row back -- i realize there is more expertise in this room on this subject than i could never hope to bring to bear myself. i am grateful for the obscenity -- for the opportunity, but i endeavor to do wi